


don't leave me tongue-tied

by lacecat (orphan_account)



Series: University of Setauket Series [1]
Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, Fluff, Halloween, Multi, Spin the Bottle, some lighthearted halloween fun bc that's what everyone needs in a fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 04:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8272532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/lacecat
Summary: Turn College!AU:(in which it's Halloween, and various people let their feelings be known in the classic method of playing spin the bottle)





	

**Author's Note:**

> (title from grouplove's tongue tied, the nostalgic pop single this writer was inspired by)  
> Written just for fun, hope you enjoy this light-hearted ficlet!

•••

 

“And then I hear that Abe’s dating that guy from the library!” Anna exclaims as she adjusted her hair in the mirror. “He complained about Robert while we were dating, I remember. Guess it worked out for him.” 

 

From outside of the dorms, she can hear that the Halloween party that was starting. The bass from the music was making the floor shake just slightly. The annual Halloween party was one of the largest that the University of Setauket threw. Anna was going as the bride of Frankenstein, complete with the gloves and the white zig zap powdered in her hair. 

 

From where she’s perched on Anna’s bed, Mary shrugs, now watching Anna pin up her dark hair. She herself was dressed like a pinup sailor girl, complete with lined tights and a little white hat. “You’re better off without him though, right?” 

 

She realizes with a start that she’s staring at the curve of Anna’s neck for a longer time than platonic friends probably did, and Mary averts her gaze.

 

"Yeah, I am," Anna says absent-mindedly, dousing her hair with hairspray.

 

During their second year at the university, Abe had broken up with Mary to date Anna. Then Anna and Abe had discovered while the sex had been great, they were utterly incompatible in every other regard, then leading to their breakup, and then indirectly leading to Anna and Mary becoming friends.

 

Apparently, Mary has a thing for hot-headed brunettes. Her ex-boyfriend was in that category, and now apparently her friend. Her close friend, who has shown no sign of being attracted to women. _Shit._

 

Mary rolls onto her back so that she can stare at Anna from upside down, letting her hands rest folded on her chest, trying to not think about this revelation. “You’re not jealous of Robert, are you?” 

 

“Definitely not. If he’s crazy enough to put up with Abe, then I wish them both happiness,” Anna replies. “Do you have a spare bobby pin on you? I’ve run out.” 

 

“In my purse,” Mary says, pointing to the green clutch dangling off the end of the bedpost.“Is Caleb meeting us here?” 

 

Anna rummages through the bag while replying. “Caleb said he’d drive over with Ben, and Ben said he’ll text me if they’re running late. They should be here soon, though.” 

 

“I didn’t know Ben was coming,” Mary says. While they all attended University of Setauket (with the exception of Caleb, who passed on college in favor of working on a boat), Ben instead attended Yale. “Is he coming with Caleb, or _with_ Caleb?” 

 

“Oh, they have yet to figure that out, as far as I know,” Anna says, rolling her eyes. “If Caleb brings another date while Ben makes sad eyes at him from the corner, I may have to hurl my shoe at Caleb’s thick head.” 

 

Mary makes an assenting noise. “What about you? Are you meeting someone tonight?” she asks, keeping her tone light on purpose. 

 

Anna twisted her head to look at her friend. “No, I’m just going to have some fun, I think,” she says, blushing. Mary thought it was adorable. “Help me zip up my dress?” 

 

Mary got up, walking behind her. She was careful where she put her hands, letting them just barely graze the soft skin of Anna’s back, as she pulled up the zipper through the white fabric. 

 

“There,” Mary said in a quiet voice, aware of how close they are. Anna meets her eyes in the mirror, and they’re staring at each other, but before anything could happen, there’s a loud knock at the door. 

 

“I’ve brought both Fireball and the handsome Tallmadge boy!” Caleb’s voice booms through the thin door. Anna rolls her eyes good-naturedly at Mary and opens the door. 

 

Caleb steps through, grinning broadly. “Annie!” he exclaims, hugging her. “And Mary too- hey, we match!” 

 

He’s dressed as a sailor, complete with fitted white pants, and Mary laughs, going over to kiss him on the cheek. “Hey, Caleb.” 

 

Caleb’s jostled forward as Ben pushes him forward with an amused expression on his face. “Anna, Mary, it’s good to see you both,” Ben says. “I like your costumes.” 

 

Ben is dressed in clean jeans and a Superman tee-shirt, because he’s Benjamin Tallmadge and probably sleeps in matching ironed pajamas. Mary thinks to herself that Caleb probably had to bribe him to even put on a vaguely costume-y shirt. 

 

“It’s been too long!” Anna greets, giving him a tight hug as well. “How’s Yale?” 

 

“Oh, you know, keeping me busy,” Ben answers with a smile. “It’s nice to see everyone from Setauket again.” 

 

“I wasn’t kidding about the Fireball,” Caleb asks, brandishing a bottle of the whiskey. “Annie, you got any shot glasses?” 

 

Anna brings out glasses, and after two or three rounds of shots, they’re all on the way to be comfortably buzzed. Their group leaves to head to the party, Ben and Caleb taking off while Mary and Anna walk at a slower pace behind them. 

 

It’s a chilly night, and the moon casts a bright glow that illuminates the streets. They can already hear cheering and music from down the road, as more people swarm on their way into the party inside one of the university dorms. 

 

While Caleb and Ben enter the party, the two women run into Abe and Robert, who are stumbling out from a parked car on the road.

 

Both of the men look caught off guard to see them there. Mary tries her best not to look at the red marks running down Robert’s neck or the way Abe is slightly out of breath. “Hey, are you two heading to the party now?” she instead asks. 

 

“We are,” Robert answers. “Although I’m afraid I didn’t wear much of a costume”. Indeed, he’s in a tee-shirt and jeans, while Abe at least is wearing a costume cap and is holding a pair of fake vampire teeth. 

 

“I’m sure that’s fine,” Anna says. “It’s a casual thing.” 

 

“Well, then, we’ll see you both there, won’t we?” Abe says quickly, and he pulls Robert’s hand until he follows him, both of them practically running away.

 

There’s a snorting sound, and Mary turns to see Anna barely holding in laughter. “The vampire teeth- and Robert’s neck-” she wheezes. Mary lets a laugh bubble out as well, and they clutch at each other as they walk into the party. 

 

Inside, the air is hot and heavy, the heat from people’s bodies and the loud music creating a thrumming environment. Mary sees Caleb and Ben in the corner where they’re drinking more and talking close to each other, and she follows Anna until they get to the dance floor.

 

“Dance with me!” Anna shouts over the music, and she pulls Mary until their bodies are close. The music shifts into something with a heavy beat, and Mary’s hands make their way to the other woman’s shoulders. They sway together, and to her surprise, Anna’s hands make their way to her hips, where they lightly rest.

 

As the song changes again, Mary shifts, and they’re even closer still. She tries to convince herself that this is just how friends dance, that Anna’s touches are entirely innocent, until she dares to look at the other woman’s face. 

 

Anna is watching her intently, and from up close, Mary can just barely make out the difference between the darks of her pupils and the dark brown of her irises. She has a small smile on her lips, which is when Mary realizes she’s staring her lips at, and she drags her eyes back up to meet Anna’s.

 

“Mary,” Anna says, and Mary realizes that they’re still pressed together from hip to chest, and her hands are still on Anna’s shoulders, where she can feel the muscle shift under her hands, but she’s gone still, no longer even swaying the the music. “You’re not dancing.” 

 

She lets go of Anna suddenly as if she’d been burned. “Sorry, I, I-” Mary stutters out. 

 

Anna watches her as she takes a step back, her mouth parted slightly, and her brow furrowed. “What are you doing?” 

 

“I’m just going to get some air,” Mary says, turning on her heel and fleeing. 

 

She makes it ten steps outside before she exhales heavily, feeling the urge to push something over. “Shit,” Mary whispers to herself. 

 

It’s not just mere physical attraction to Anna, if Mary is honest with herself, and that’s the problem. She likes when Anna goes on a passionate rant about the environmental impact of bleached coral, when she’s stumped and gets a tiny line between her eyebrows, or when she wakes up in the morning and she stretches her entire back before getting out of bed. She likes it when Anna will slide a hand underneath the ends of Mary’s hair just to play with it as she passes by, and how Anna is strong, gorgeous, intelligent and brave.

 

“Shit,” she repeats to herself. She’s in love with Anna. 

 

“Mary?” The voice comes from beside her, and she whips around to see Ben sitting on a bench tucked away outside the dorm. He looks surprised to see her. 

 

“Ben? I thought you were in there with Caleb,” she says, coming over and sitting down next to him. 

 

He looks down at that. “Yeah, I was, he just found someone to dance with,” Ben says, and even though it’s clear he’s trying for nonchalant, his shoulders are slumped. 

 

Mary gives a sharp laugh. “We’re both messes, aren’t we?” she says, and Ben makes a muffled sound of agreement. “In love with our best friends.” 

 

Ben’s head jolts up, his eyes meeting Mary’s, and he looks ready to deny it, but she raises an eyebrow and they share a look of mutual understanding. He sighs. “You and Anna, then?” 

 

“Yeah,” Mary says. “I know that Anna just thinks of me as a friend, and it shouldn’t hurt me, but it does. It really sucks.” The alcohol’s making the words flow off of her tongue, and Ben looks startled, before looking determined. 

 

“Caleb sees me as a brother, but I don’t want that,” he confesses, to Mary’s surprise, “I think I’ve been in love with him since we were dumb kids running around Setauket. But I don’t think it’ll ever be like that between us, and I can’t say anything because I can’t lose him.” 

 

Mary slants a sideways look at him. “He looks at you like you’ve hung the moon, Ben. You should tell him how you feel, I think you’d be surprised.” 

 

He stiffens. “Right, I’ll tell him as soon as you tell Anna about your feelings,” he counters. Mary winces, and Ben looks apologetic instantly. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for-”  


“No, you’re right,” she says. “Just- think about it, all right?” 

 

Ben gives a sad smile. “You too, I’d say.”

 

They eventually head back into the party, and find Caleb and Anna dancing with each other. Robert and Abe are also there, Robert with a look of intense concentration, while Abe already looks drunk, clinging onto his shoulders. 

 

“Tall boy returns!” Caleb exclaims, clapping Ben on the back. Anna looks towards Mary, but she doesn’t make eye contact. “I found Abe and his new boy, eh? How bout we all find somewhere quieter to hang out and catch up?” 

 

“We just got here,” Ben tries to argue, but then Abe says, “We should! Totally-” and he sways for a moment.

 

Robert sighs. “Let’s head back,” he says firmly, and then they’re all walking back. 

 

Anna catches up to Mary as they’re walking back to her dorm. “Short party, eh?” she says, bumping her shoulder into Mary’s. 

 

Mary smiles at that, and Anna’s expression warms up even more. “Yeah, one of these years we’ll make it for more than an hour,” she jokes, and Anna laughs. 

 

Back in Anna’s dorm room, Caleb procures the now-empty whiskey bottle when they’re all seated on the ground in a circle. “Spin the bottle!” he announces, to the groans of both Robert and Anna. “I’m serious! It’ll be like old times.” 

 

“What is this, high school?” Anna complains, but her tone is light. 

 

“If it was really old times, you would still be trying to grow out a beard,” Ben points out, and Caleb shoves him in the shoulder.

 

“For that, you’re going first,” he says, handing the bottle to him. “Go on, then!” 

 

Ben blushes a dark color to the roots of his blond hair, but spins the bottle. It weakly flips around until it lands on Anna. Amidst Caleb’s hooting and Abe’s drunk clapping, she gracefully rises and tilts Ben’s face up so that they can kiss lightly. It’s chaste, but Ben’s still blushing when they separate.

 

“Robert! It’s your turn!” Caleb says, pushing it towards the unimpressed man.

 

He spins it, and it lands on Caleb, who makes a victorious crowing noise.

 

“Ugh. Can I-” Robert starts, but then the bearded man basically throws himself at the other man, dragging him into a sloppy, nearly painful-looking kiss by the front of his shirt. Robert’s hands flail about, and Caleb releases him with a laugh. “Not bad, eh?” he jokes, and Robert rolls his eyes but cracks a smile. 

 

“Mary! It’s your turn!” Caleb says, and she reaches for the bottle. She spins it, and it lands on Robert. 

 

“Really? Again?” Robert complains, and Mary giggles a bit as she gets up to go across. His lips are smooth and warm, and it’s relatively chaste, until she dares to drag her teeth a bit across his bottom lip, and his hands actually fly up to her face. They break apart, and now it’s Robert who’s blushing a bit.

 

They get quiet, as Abe looks between Robert and Mary and back, but then he smiles broadly and proclaims, a bit drunk, “I love how we all are like a weirdly incestuous family, you guys!” It’s so ridiculous and they all burst out laughing. 

 

It’s Anna’s turn next, and she spins and it lands on Mary. 

 

Mary’s throat suddenly feels very dry, and Anna is right there and there’s a questioning look in her eyes, so she makes direct eye contact with her as their lips press together.

 

It’s fleeting, but Mary can taste the fruity lip gloss that Anna put on earlier, and when they break apart, her eyes flutter open to meet Anna’s, still close to her face.

 

Ben clears his throat, thankfully saving Mary from doing anything embarrassing. “Right. Caleb, it’s your turn, right?”

 

“Right, here I go,” Caleb says, taking the bottle and spinning it, and it lands on Ben. There’s sudden silence. “Oh, ha! It’s all right Ben, I won’t make you kiss my ugly mug,” Caleb jokes, but his fingers twitch nervously. 

 

“Why wouldn’t I want to kiss you?” Ben says then, challenging, and oh. Mary looks between the two of them, then back at Anna, who has her eyebrows raised. 

 

“Well you know, I’m me, and you’re you,” Caleb tries to say, but Ben cuts him off. 

 

“You’re an idiot, Caleb Brewster,” and then Ben pulls the front of Caleb’s sailor shirt into a deep kiss. It’s not awkward like the other kisses, but instead they move together slowly, and Mary looks away, not wanting to further intrude on this moment. 

 

Robert coughs, and they eventually break apart. Caleb looks at Ben, slightly dazed. “You- Ben, I don’t-” he says in a quiet voice, and Ben’s brow wrinkles a bit. 

 

“That wasn’t because of the game,” he says, and whatever’s in his expression seems to shift, and Caleb’s face is like he’s just seen the sun for the first time.

 

“Right then,” Caleb says, then gets up, slightly unsteady. “Best be off.” Ben’s face plummets, but then Caleb says, “Well, you coming, Tall boy? I think we ought to continue this in a more private location,” and Ben’s jumping up, and they both leave before anyone can say anything. 

 

“Wow,” Anna says in the silence they left behind. “Who would’ve thought it would have been a dumb high school game to get those idiots together?” 

 

“I think that’s our cue to leave, too,” Robert says, helping Abe as he gets up. “Thank you for having us,” he says, practically carrying Abe out of the room.

 

Then it’s just Mary and Anna, and Mary is almost too afraid to look at her. 

 

“That kiss, huh,” Anna says with a smile, and she’s probably talking about Ben and Caleb, but something in Mary snaps. 

 

“I’d want that,” she blurts out, and Anna’s eyes widen. “With you, I mean. I’m kind of in love with you, and it’s all right that you don’t feel the same, but I needed to tell you. If Ben could do it, why couldn’t I be brave, you know?” 

 

There’s an agonizingly long moment of silence, and then Anna says in a rough voice, “Mary, I’ve been in love with you since the day I met you.” 

 

Mary just gapes at her, and then says, “Oh. Okay, then we should,” and she’s moving forward to meet Anna in a kiss not unlike the one they all just witnessed. 

 

Their second kiss is much, much better, and Anna’s mouth is perfect and lush, and Mary clutches at her like she’s drowning and Anna’s her lifeline. They break apart, both panting, and Mary realizes now she can tuck tendrils of dark hair behind Anna’s ear, and does so. “I love you,” she whispers, and Anna kisses her again, and again, and again. 

 

It’s perfect, and even though they’re clutching each other on the dusty floor of a dorm room, Mary’s heart flutters in her chest as Anna gasps into her neck, wraps her hands around her hips. It’s everything she’s ever hoped for, and in that moment, she’s never been more grateful for what’s right in front of her.

 

 

•••

 


End file.
